Person:William Moseley (11)

Identity

It is not certain that the William Moseley who was baptized 17 Dec 1606 in Westminster, son of Richard and Katherine (Smyth) Moseley, was the emigrant to Virginia who died in 1655 in Lower Norfolk, Virginia (see notes below).

Notes and Sources

William Moseley - First Emigrant. A merchant of Rotterdam, Holland,settled in Virginia in 1649. He received a grant of land the sameyear, and among the headrights are mentioned those of himself, Susannahis wife, and sons Arthur and William. He was justice of LowerNorfolk County, March 16, 1649 to April 26, 1655.

Will: "The last will and testament of William Moseley the elder,written with his own hand this 29th day of June, 1655."

"Imprimis. I give and bequeath my Soule to God that gave it, and mybody to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my wifeand c hildren. Item. I give and bequeath to my Cosen WilliamCockcroft a Cowe Calfe of a year old. And to my grandchild Corker acow calfe of a yeere olde. Item. I give unto my wife Susan Moseleymy gray mare and furniture, and I doe likewise give her one negrowoman called Mary with her Childre Beese, to be at her disposingduring her life. Alsoe I doe give to my said wife Susan all thesheepe with the Increase thereof, together with all her wearingapparell and her Lifetime upon the plantation where she now lives.Item. I give to my sonne Will'm Moseley, Eight hundred acres of landlyeing and being as expressed in Bartho. hodgkin's Pattent, and also Idoe give to my said sonne Will'm one younge Mare foale of months oldeto him and his heirs for ever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my sonne Arthur Mosoeley, all that tractof land wch I bought of George Kempe and moreover and above that allthat land wch. was surveyed by Mr. Empero'r when I was in England, tohim and his heirs forever. And for the residue of my Estate my debtsbeing all first paidd out, To be equally divided between my wifeSusan, William and Arthur Moseley.

               Signed by mee
                           WILL:  Moseley, Senio'r with a seale

Teste: The m'ke I. C. of John Carrowaye

           The m'ke H. of Abraham Thomas

Jurat in Cur. 15th August 1655.

                           Test:  Wm. Turner, CI. Cur

An Inventory of ye estate of my mother Susanna Moseley, dec. februaryye 8th, 1655-56.

One mare, five cowes, one heyffer, fower yearling Calves, one Steereof 3 years old, ten head of hogs young and old, one Ewe Lambe. herwearing apparell, three pairs ofo Sheetes, two table Cloths, fifteenenapkins, fowere towells, 2 Covers & 2 others, one paire of pillowcases, one chest, one chaire, one Couche, one Bedde, 1 boulster &blankette, two pictures, one Iron pott, one brasse Kettle, one IronKettle, one skillet, 3 pratite dishes, one sawcer, one frying pan,one paire of tongues, one candlestick, one gunn, on brush. This Inventory was sworne unto in Cort by Mr. Wm. Moseley, ye 15thFebruary 1665, pr. me.

William Moseley (2nd)

Information from the Virginia Magazine of History and BiographyPublished Quarterly by the Virginia Historical Society, The YearEnding June, 1898, Volume V, Richmond, VA: House of the Society, No.707 East Franklin Street, Moseley Family, p. 328 and 329..

Notes for William:

Virginia Mag. of Hist. and Biog. 52 (#3 Jul 1944): 220: "While thereare reasons to believe that William of Lower Norfolk was born inLondon in 1606, son of Richard and Katherine (Smyth) Moseley, directevidence in respect to his parentage remains to be established beyondany doubt." The author referes to the 17 Dec 1606 Baptism of a Wm.Moseley in St. Margaret's, Westminster, which lies by WestminsterAbbey, on Thomas, west of London: technically in county Middlesex. G.Andrews Moriarty's Moseley in Genealogies of Va Families Vol. 4, Gen.Pub. Col, 1981.

[Lower] Norfolk County, VA. Will & Deed Book C: 24: "I William Moseleylate of Rotterdam in Holland in the partes beyond the seaes March't:And now resident and inhabittinge in the Easterne branch of ElizabethRiver in the County of [Lower} Norfolk" being "Possessed of certainepeeces of Gouldsmyths and Juellers worke to the valewe of Six hundredand twelve Gilders As namely One hatband consising of Nineteene Ses ofgould, Nineteene Ies of gould, one buckle and tipp of gould all settwith Dyamonds and in part Enamelled Att five hundred gilders, oneJuell of gould Enamelled and sett with Diamonds Att sixty gilders andone gould Ringe enamelled and sett with one Diamon, one Rubie, onesapher and eon Emrall Att Fifty two gilders" have this day sould toCapt. Francis Yardley of Linhaven "the said hatband, Juell and Ringe"for 9 heads of cattle. The cattle were "Two draught Oxen two steeresand five Cowes in hand already received". Dated 1 Aug 1650. SignedWilliam Moseley. Wit: Edward Windham, Edward Standley. Also same pagethe following: [Lower] Norfolk Wills and Deed C: 24025:

"Worthy Sir my husband havinge some bussiness downe the river was gonefrom home two horrows before your servant came soe I findinge what thecontents your letter did import, have in my husbands absence madebould to answer it and withall I knowe he referrs the sale of them tome Sir in regarde you cannot out of your stocke no noer than foweryounge cowes and one older and fower exec I will not press you beyondwhat you are willinge to doe, but will accept your proffer, by reasonof my great want of Cattle, and withall I had rayther your wife shouldweare them than aney gentlewoman I yet know in the Country, but goodSir, have no Sruple Concernings their rightnes for I went my selfefrom Rotterdam to the Haguh, to inquire of the gouldsmiths and foundthat they ware all Right therfore thats without question, and for thehatband that alone costs five hundred gelders as my husband knowsverry well and will tell you soe when he sees you, for the Juell andthe ringe they weare made for me at Rotterdam and I paid in good RexDollores for them sixtey gelders for the Jewell and fivety and twogelders for the Ringe, Which comes to in English monny Eleaven poundsfower shillings. I have sent the sute, and Ringe by your servant andI wish Mrs. Yeardley health and prosperity to weare them in and giveyou boeth thanks for your kinde token. When my husband come home wewill see to gett the Cattelll home in the meane time I present my loveand service to your selfe and wife. Mr. Chandler and his wife and theyoung gentlewoman and old Cap't and Committ you all to god and remaineyour freind and servant: Susan Moseley" Elizabeth River th is LastJuly 1650: Recorded 10th Nov 1652. Pictures of William and 2 sons inRichmond, VA painted in Holland in 1640. He was Justice of {Lower}Norfolk Co. March 1649 to April 1655. Moseley, a Commissioner of[Lower] Norfolk. ([Lower] Norfolk Order Bk. B, folder 140) He was anmerchant in Rotterdam settled in VA [or left Holland?] Jul. or Aug1649. 1642 William Moseley transported by Adam Cooke for theAdventurers to Charles City County [VA Head Rights].

William Moseley had married the widow Susanna Blackmore before 22 Dec1634, probably in Delft, Holland.

William Moseley was a merchant adventurer, living in Delft, latermoving to Rotterdam [7 miles away] where he was steward (Schafmeister)of the English House on 13 Aug 1643. Late in July or early August1649, he emigrated to Virginia and settled at Lower Norfolk where heappears on 30 Nov 1649. Received Grant in Lynn Haven Parish onBroadcreek in [Lower] Norfolk, VA. Arthur Moseley, William's son bySusanna (Burnet) Blackmore Moseley was most certainly born in Holland,as later he was compelled to naturalize himself in Virginia. He endedup with land on Broad Cr. [in Virginia Beach now]. For many years itwas believed, based primarily on the research of Robert B. Moseley,that this William Moseley was one and the same as the William Moseleywho baptized 10 Dec 1608 (or 1606) at Carburton, Nottinghamshire.That Wm Moseley Bapt. 1606/1608 Carburton England was once (VA Mag ofHist & Bio 35: 218-220 Apr 1927) thought to have gone to Virginia.But 1944 in Va Mag of Hist and Biog 52: 220 July 1944, Robt. B.Moseley (source of the 1927 note) explained that "a later study ofmanuscripts at Welbeck Abbey, the home of the Duke of Newcastle,Newcastle, proprietor of Carburton [in Nottinghamshire where that WmMoseley was Bapt. 1608] discolsed that the William Moseley, grandsonof Humphrey and Margaret (Heigham) Moseley, died in 1642 and wasburied at Workshop Notts., hecnce could not be either of the emigrantto Virginia in 1649/50."

The Moseleys of Princess Anne Co. were one of the most prominentfamilies in VA in the 17th century (Wertenbaker, Planters of ColonialVA, p. 109) and "long owned what was perhaps, the largest and mostinteresting collection of family portraits in VA." (VA Mag., Vol. 32,p. 58).

A Collection of fine oil portraits of early Moseleys survived for 150years in America, but the locations of most of them are now lost tous--even if the paintings themselves have suvived.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} William Moseley, Gent. of Lower Norfolk County, Virginia, and his wife Susanna, in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   100(1946):94-99.

   pp. 94-95: He was born in or about 1606, but his parentage has not as yet been ascertained ...'
   
   p. 98: 'Will of William Moseley the elder, dated 29 June 1655, proved 15 Aug. 1655.' citing Lower Norfolk Wills